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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Emma Pillsbury Goes Fabric Shopping

I hope you don't get sick of me prattling on about my new style inspiration, Emma Pillsbury of the TV show Glee. As I wrote last week, I became so obsessed with a particular outfit of Emma's that I've made it my personal mission to recreate it for myself.Here's the outfit on my muse:

As you can see, it's a black and white print blouse with an orange pencil skirt. In inimitable Emma Pillsbury style, she manages to pull off TWO bows on one outfit! There's one on the blouse and one on the skirt. My bow-wearing game isn't quite up to that level, so I'm going to omit the blouse bow.

First I had to choose my patterns. For the blouse, I found this lovely vintage pattern from this fab Etsy seller. Isn't the v-neck in the front perfect?

I'm not quite decided on my skirt pattern yet, but I'm thinking about the BurdaStyle Jenny skirt. I would make the simple one on the left (but making the waistband a little slimmer) and then adding a self-drafted bow. The second version has a bow already, but it's a sash, not a sewn-on embellishment.

Next, I summoned my inner Emma and took her fabric shopping! I decided on a simple black and white polka dot rayon for the blouse.The skirt fabric was the tough part. I first fell in love with a vivid orange wool double crepe at B&J. The price tag? A whopping $82.95 a yard. Now, you all know I have expensive taste in fabric and I briefly considered it, but I knew I could find something just as lovely (if not a double crepe) for a reasonable price.

And I did! At New York Elegant Fabric, I found this lovely wool boucle:

It's a reddish orange, and it clocked in at $34.99 a yard. Not exactly cheap, but since I needed very little it wasn't too bad. Especially when you consider what I might have paid ready-to-wear for this skirt!

I want to both underline and line this skirt. I picked up a Bemberg rayon for the lining and a silk organza for the underlining.

And there are the components of my master plan, readers! What do you think?

44 comments:

Lovely, I think. Your justification for the fabric is exactly what goes through my own head. Then I add in the workmanship, the attention to detail and I know that unless I made it myself, I could never afford the sort of things I make. If you get my drift.

Le sigh. I would love to be let loose in New York for fabric shopping. Just a day. A half day.

(By the way, seems like you post lately when I'm getting off work... I swear to Dog I'm not stalking you.)

Completely unrelated to fabric choices, but related to TV show characters:Have you ever seend Demons on BBCA? It ran over the last 6 weeks, and I only started watching it this weekend (the last two episodes, sadly). It's interesting, sort of Being Human and Ashes to Ashes rolled into one with some Twilight added for good measure. Anyway, there is a character on the show, Mina Harler, played by Zoe Topper. She reminds me of you - similar hair, similar style of dress. If you haven't seen it check it out. Her style often goes more Edwardian Era than 1950s, but there are a lot of things like secretary blouses and pencil skirts. Pics here:

Oh!!! I'm smitten already! I just love the bow skirt (I've been meaning to make a pencil skirt with a bow for some time myself... only slightly different with the bow at the back ;), and am dying to see how the whole outfit looks! Plus, polka dots are my weakness and I just adore the fabric you bought! (Have I ever mentioned how utterly jealous I am that you can just take a jaunt to the fabric district?! haha!)

The combination of a black and white polka-dot top and a bright red pencil skirt will be *divine*.

That is a great vintage blouse pattern. The neckline of the boat neck blouse is a bit *too* high, but the other 2 are perfect. How cute is the one with bows on the spaghetti straps?? It would be so perfect for summer!

Hi guys! Just to answer a few questions: I'm looking for a new pencil skirt pattern since my sizing has changed a bit since I've used my usual one (same as for my Emerald City skirt). I've made all sorts of alterations to that one, and I feel the need to start from scratch with a new one. Clean slate, you know? The Jenny skirt is designed for wovens not knits, and I think it will be a good choice. You can see an awesome tailored version here. http://www.burdastyle.com/projects/simply-jenny?image=89118

Phoebe, it's not two linings exactly. The one on the left is the lining, and the one on the right is an underlining. Underlining is basted to the fashion fabric and then sewn as one. This can be done for several reasons - in this case it is to give structure to a loosely woven wool, and also to hide interior workings like the hem. You hem the skirt just to the underlining, not the outer layer. Does this make sense? Hope that helps!

Those colours look so absolutely yummy together! Can't wait to see the finished result - without forgetting a 'making of' please!... I've never done a skirt with lining and underlining and would love to see how you use it and why (in a coat I can see you'd have it for warmth, but what's the thinking behind it in a skirt?).

Ahh, Ms Pillsbury and her double bows... I have a skirt like that and everytime I pair it with a pussybow blouse, I just look in the mirror and go... 'nahhhh'. It's a look that only a privileged few can carry off!

Can't wait to see the results! When I was a little girl I used to watch the first few minutes of Wheel of Fortune to see what glamorous thing Vanna was wearing. Now I watch Glee to see Emma Pillsbury! :)

It's going to be so cute and those colors will be great on you. That cut is going to be fabulous on you too! [Side note: Sigh. I do like Emma Pillsbury's outfits on the show, but I just can't get behind her annoying, annoying character! If it weren't for that, I think I would already have taken a page from her style book. Is it just me or are all of the main female characters on that show shrill, manipulative, self-absorbed, pathetic or otherwise embodiments of yucky female stereotypes? It's a good thing the clothes are cute! Did you see the yellow dresses?]

Fantastic choices! I really can't wait to see the creations. I'm simply googly eyed over the inspiration! She's just so charming! The fabric choices are incredible too. I've paid a good amount for fabric myself and I do always consider the ready to wear cost. I love expensive fabric, so sue me. I think the most important thing is that you're going to make something that will last a long time and that you will wear often and feel beautiful in. Fantastic idea!

I just envy you New York gals and your fabric store options. I have only two small chain stores and they devote half their space to craft supplies so my choices are very limited. The outfit for your inspiration is so cute and I think your pattern choices are right on. Looking forward to the finished product.

Guys, I'm worried that the boucle is looking too red instead of orange. Perhaps orange is in the eye of the beholder? Or perhaps I'm just looking for any excuse to go back for that pricey double crepe!

I'd say it's the difference between a red-orange and an orangey-red; but more firmly in the red category (at least that's what it looks like on my screen).I can't wait to see the final, love the blouse pattern by the way. I love those EASY, Jiffy, and Simple to Make patterns so much!

Well I know I have to go to New York just for the fabric shops... (Liberty Statue in NY? Haven't seen her...) The fabrics are great, and I think they'll make up a very good combination indeed! Please do some posts on this lining/underlining issue - that's just beyond me, and as I'm not a great fan of (cutting/sewing) lining the idea of two linings really scares me!

I saw this episode on uk tv last night and am getting sucked in by Glee! Not a fan of all Emma's outfits but love this one, especially the blouse. (Also, I loved her fearful face when she caught sight of the jockstrap in the locker room - priceless!)

I just found your blog through Male Pattern Boldness. I think your fabric choices are excellent and I can't wait to see the finished pieces! I have a pencil skirt pattern at home and you've inspired me to finally get my butt in gear and create it...once I'm moved, unpacked and my studio is set up again of course.